NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of providing support to the Kumbh Mela but not the Gangasagar Mela.
Gangasagar Mela will begin on January 9 and will take its most technologically advanced form this year. While Kumbh Mela is all set to take place in Prayagraj from January 13.
Addressing the public in Gangasagar, South 24 Parganas, the West Bengal CM claimed that the Center had not constructed a bridge so far, which is why the state government has invited tenders.
“The central government supports Kumbh Mela by giving billions of rupees, but they don’t even look at Gangasagar. On one side of Gangasagar is Sundarban, on one side is the forest, on one side is the sea, temples and devotees, It’s very incredible…” said Banerjee.
“People have to reach Gangasagar by water. For this, the central government had to build a bridge, but could not do it. Now the state government has invited tenders to build the bridge. After this, there will be many amenities. .. We hope that all the devotees coming to Gangasagar have a pleasant journey. We have held meetings with all departments including police, PWD, PHE… We have also held coordination meetings so that the devotees do not face any problem.” , he added.
For Gangasagar Mela, a 6,000 sq ft mega control room will monitor the movement of pilgrims and vehicles in the area through over 1,000 CCTV cameras and 25 drones. A total of 56 monitors will be in charge of more than 100 employees. A gigantic monitor will transmit the movement of ships approaching Kachuberia from Lot 8, Kakdwip. The district administration has used Isro’s technological support to monitor the movement of boats and vehicles. Clicking on any vessel will provide information about it, including the number of passengers in transit and the driver’s phone number.
Considering the record 1.1 million attendees who showed up in 2024, the administration is keeping preparations ready. However, as the once-in-twelve-year Maha Kumbh Mela is scheduled to be held in Prayagraj as well, the turnout may not be higher than last year, say senior officials.